“We Want the Funk” starts just as a documentary about funk music should – with musician Marcus Miller slapping that bass.
Miller’s bass solo sets the tone for the rest of “We Want the Funk,” which is just as full of musical moments as it is talking head interviews (in some cases, there are literal Talking Heads – David Byrne makes an appearance). Directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London, the documentary traces the history of funk, both musically and culturally, through the eyes of some of its most influential players. It takes a closer look at funk’s connections to other genres like Motown and gospel, as well as its place within the Black liberation movement.
Nelson and London have the unenviable position of having to summarize years of political and cultural context for a film that comes in at just over one hour and 20 minutes, but their work is efficient and clear. Moving through the onset of the very popular (and very white) “American Bandstand” in the 1950s to the rise of Motown and artists like The Supremes and The Temptations in the 1960s, “We Want the Funk” paints a picture of the culture of assimilation that was forced onto Black Americans at the time.
Read Sammie’s full review on Rough Draft
